Best way to prep circles for applique
 

I am participating in a 30 week block of the week program. We're about 1/3 of the way through and finally an applique block appears. I don't dislike doing applique, it's the prep work I find tedious. So please tell me your favorite way to get perfect 2.5" diameter circles done. I really don't want to fuse them. Thank you!

There is a product out there called "perfect circles," which is essentially heat resistant plastic circles with a hole in the center. You trace the circle you need on the back of a piece of fabric, cut around leaving and 1/8" to a 1/4" inch seam allowance, and then stay stitch in the seam allowance leaving a tail, pull the thread and gather..wallah a perfect circle. Before you get the template out, spray some starch and press to make sure the circle retains its shape, then remove the template and applique away. You can probably achieve the same results with a cardboard or some heat resistant template if you can cut a perfect circle:)

I found the Perfect Circles on Amazon!
http://www.amazon.com/Karen-Kay-Buck...dp/B002DW3YZ6/

Created by Karen Kay Buckley and also available on her website.

Yes! These are the ones! She had them in two sizes. The package you linked is the smaller ones and here is the Amazon link for the bigger ones.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002DW2DBC

This place is the best! Thanks so much ladies for your advice. I'm going to try both methods. If the LQS doesn't have the Perfect Circles, I'll order from Amazon. In the meantime, I'll try the facing method and see just how good I am at sewing circles. :-)

I make my own circles from the template plastic which is heat resistant, meaning you can iron over it. Trace the circle the size you want, cut it out--remembering to turn the plastic into the scissors while cutting to get a smooth edge. Then feel the edge of the circle for any tiny bumps or roughness and smooth those with an emery board, and you're good to go! I have a circle template thing with all different sizes of circle holes cut out of it which I often use for tracing. It's available wherever school supplies, etc. are sold. I also will trace around coins or buttons, etc. if they are the size I need. Once you have your plastic circle ready, trace around it on the wrong side of the fabric and cut it out leaving yourself about 3/8 of an inch seam allowance. Stitch a running stitch all around in that seam allowance, and overlap the stitches a bit at the starting point. Put the heat resistant plastic circle against the wrong side of the fabric and use the thread tails to gather up the seam allowance around it like a shower cap. Press it crisp with some spray starch on both sides while the heat resistant plastic is still inside. After it cools, loosen the gathered seam allowance a bit right at the starting point of your running stitches and pull out the template plastic. Now use the thread tails to again pull that gathered seam allowance tight and the applique circle is perfect again and will easily applique down, keeping that perfect shape.

I use Tartan's method with the old dryer sheets (I even have friends save them for me). So simple and a perfect circle every time.

Non fusible non woven interfacing works like dryer sheets too. I have done circles that way and also making my own as mentioned above and both work well....save the money u would spend buying templates, when you can do it with what you already have on hand!

You can make your own circles out of card stock, water color paper or a cracker or cereal box. I use a compass to draw my circle then carefully cut it out. I cut out my fabric circle with a seam allowance and then do a loose running stitch around the edge. Then I use my cardboard circle and place my fabric over it, centering it and pull that running stitch tight. Makes a perfect circle. Press it real good with the cardboard still in it then take the cardboard out, give it another press and spray it with starch. Then press again. Perfect circle everytime. It is how I made this quilt:
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